Sunshine of Your Love - Cream Cover, listen/comment please?

[ziplock43]

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getpl...d=5548262&q=hi

A thing to keep in mind:
- I recorded all of this w/ 2 crappy dynamic mics, so if the drums sound distant or weak, that's why.

It's not meant to be identical to the original. I wanted to make it punchier. . . more rock and less blues.

Anyways tell me what you think please?

[the cool one]

That's cool!

[A Reel Person]

I thought it was overcompressed.

I don't think the Cream original version is bluesy at all. In context it was the most raw & rocking thing on the planet. Those original vintage recordings had dynamics, too, which is something today's modern music is lacking.

The playing is decent.

I'd be inclined to say 'push the drums forward in the mix', but I'm afraid it would only be more wall-of-sound-ish.

Overcompression causes ear fatigue very easily.

That's MO, of course, and I wouldn't expect e'one to agree with me.

[Monkey Allen]

The vol in the soundclick player was 60/100 and my soundcard was on 4/10...but the intro to the song blew my fucking ears off.

The tone of that guitar really rips the living fuck out of ya doesn't it!

Great song, pretty good cover

[chazba]

Not ready for prime-time but keep at it. Take another listen to EC's original and check out the timing and weight he gives to the power chords thruout the track. That's what gives the song its texture. If you can cop to that, you will be halfway there.


chazba

[ziplock43]

I didn't use much compression at all, just at the end I used a Hard Limiter to take some of the extra spikes off.

Listening to it over and over for the past couple days now, I'm kind of embarrassed of the actual peformance. I really missed a few notes

As for the drums, I think this is the absolute best I can do with two overhead mics. I've tried everything I could, but I can't get a good, dynamic drum sound. It pisses me off, but it's all I can do w/ the 2 overheads.

You're telling me it's too loud, Monkey Allen? I struggle ALOT w/ getting these songs up to acceptable volume w/o sacrificing too much clarity. I've got prehistoric mastering tools, and experience. I think my sound card is shitty as hell too, that's probably weighing me down.

What do you mean about the tone of the guitar? Too high? What could be better?

chazba, I know there's a big difference in the power chords between mine and Clapton's -- It was intentional. I like it more with the chords ringing out and the crash pounding. I don't really want this to be compared to the original, I want it to be unique.

Thanks alot guys, you've really helped me out. Can any of you who've responded already re-reply to my comments please?

EDIT NOTE:
-- The guitar was recorded w/ a $60 Marshall. . . I think it sounds better than my Crate half-stack, but that might be why it sounds compressed -- It's just how the amp sounds.

[A Reel Person]

Pushing the loudness factor with peak limiting is a compression technique.

Older mixes breathed with dynamics & most modern rock is heavily compressed as a format or style choice. That's one reason why I prefer older recordings over most new stuff. It's a stylistic format of music recording that I dont' like & will criticize, & not you personally. You may want to do more modern sounding music & that's fine. Your version is intentionally a modern sounding takeoff of the original. I get it.

The playing is fine, presentation fine, but I think the compression (& overall steady loudness, wall-of-sound-ness) should be backed off a bit, & let the mix breathe. Allow for more dynamics is what I'd recommend, & is why I'd not recommend pushing the drums, but instead backing off the guitar/bass/vocal parts accordingly.

Also, my rule of thumb of what is a good mix is that it should sound good turned up to "10" on your computer or car stereo, as well as sounding good at a moderate or low level. (Home stereos vary a lot, but include most better home stereos with that statement). If the sound goes all to shit or heavily into the red & distortion when you turn it up to "10", IMO it's not a good mix.

That's not to say your mix is or isn't a good mix, 'cause we all have different standards or sounds we prefer to hear. By your standards or what your intentional sound you were going for was, your mix is a good mix. By my standards it's less so.

F/I, I could just crank the old John Lennon music as loud as I want and revel in how sweet it sounds, then Metallica comes on, and it's "fuckin turn it down, my ears are bleeding!"- time. Things like that are all in the production. I'm not on board with most modern productions. That holds true for similar stuff in the HR realm and even commercially produced music CDs.
YMMV.